Chapter 10: The Mother Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
I stared at the photograph until my eyes began to burn.
The woman standing beside Vanessa was unmistakably my mother.
Margaret Mitchell.
The woman whose funeral I'd attended at seventeen.
The woman whose grave I'd visited every Mother's Day for twenty years.
The woman my father had told me died from complications following surgery.
She was alive.
And she'd been photographed outside a private clinic three weeks earlier.
"Michael," I whispered.
"Explain.""
My brother pulled out a chair.
"After Dad died, I received a letter from his attorney. It contained information about Mom's medical records.""
"She died. I saw her.""
Michael shook his head.
"Someone else was buried under her name.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
"Your father discovered that the death certificate was fraudulent. Mom had disappeared years earlier, and he eventually found evidence that she'd been living under another identity.""
I felt dizzy.
"Why would Dad lie?""
"Because she had been involved in something dangerous. He believed keeping her away from you was the only way to protect you.""
I stood up.
"My entire childhood was a lie?""
Michael didn't answer.
Evelyn, our attorney, examined the photograph.
"Where was this taken?""
Michael turned the picture over.
A clinic address was written on the back.
It was in a small town outside Atlanta.
Evelyn immediately shook her head.
"We're not confronting her without knowing what we're walking into.""
I looked at her.
"She's my mother.""
"And someone who has apparently concealed her identity for decades. We need to approach this carefully.""
Michael received a message.
He read it, then looked at me.
"She's willing to meet.""
"How?""
"Vanessa arranged it.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Of course she did.""
Evelyn advised us to document the contact and arrange a supervised meeting in a public place.
Two hours later, we were sitting in a private room at a hotel restaurant.
The door opened.
A woman entered.
She wore a cream-colored coat and carried a leather handbag.
Her hair was almost completely silver.
But her eyes were the same.
The eyes I'd remembered from childhood photographs.
She stopped when she saw me.
"Laura.""
I stood.
"Don't.""
She looked down.
"I know you're angry.""
"Angry?""
My voice cracked.
"I buried you.""
She closed her eyes.
"I know.""
"You let me visit a grave for twenty years.""
"I didn't have a choice.""
I laughed through my tears.
"Everyone in this family seems to have a reason for lying to me.""
She sat down.
"My name is Margaret. I am your mother.""
I remained standing.
"Then tell me why you're alive.""
She looked at Michael.
He nodded.
Margaret finally spoke.
"Your father discovered that I had been having an affair with Samuel Reed. Later, he learned that I had been involved with another man.""
I thought of the DNA reports.
"Who?""
She lowered her eyes.
"Daniel.""
The room went silent.
I gripped the back of my chair.
"Daniel?""
"Yes.""
"When?""
"Before you married him.""
My stomach twisted.
"Did you know Vanessa was sleeping with him?""
Margaret nodded.
"She became involved with him shortly after you announced your engagement.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Why would she do that?""
"Vanessa always believed you received everything. Your father's attention. His money.
His trust. She thought you had stolen the life that should have been hers.""
I shook my head.
"That's ridiculous.""
"She believed Daniel should have chosen her.""
I sat down slowly.
Margaret continued.
"After Chloe and Sophie were born, Vanessa threatened to expose the relationship between Daniel and me unless your father allowed her to keep one of the twins.""
I felt sick.
"Why would Daniel agree?""
"Because he knew there was a possibility he wasn't Chloe's biological father.""
I looked at Michael.
He was staring at the table.
Margaret reached into her handbag.
"I brought something.""
She removed a sealed envelope.
Inside were four DNA reports.
One for each daughter.
The first compared Chloe with Daniel.
The second compared Sophie with Daniel.
The third compared Mia with Daniel.
The fourth compared Lily with Daniel.
I read the results.
Daniel was not Chloe's biological father.
He was not Sophie's biological father.
He was not Mia's biological father.
But the fourth report was different.
Daniel was Lily's biological father.
I stared at the page.
"Then who fathered my other three daughters?""
Margaret looked at Michael.
He closed his eyes.
"Me," he whispered.
I turned toward him.
"What?""
Michael's voice broke.
"Laura, I need to explain.""
Margaret spoke first.
"Your brother is not their biological father.""
I looked between them.
"Then who?""
She removed another photograph.
It showed a man standing beside her.
He was tall, dark-haired, and wearing a military uniform.
I didn't recognize him.
"His name was Thomas Bennett," she said.
"He was a close friend of your father's.""
"Was?""
"He died twelve years ago.""
I stared at the photograph.
Margaret placed her hand on mine.
"Laura, all three of your older daughters share the same biological father.""
My eyes filled.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?""
"Because Thomas was involved in a criminal investigation. Your father feared that revealing his identity would put the girls in danger.""
Evelyn leaned forward.
"Do you have documentation?""
Margaret nodded.
"Everything. Medical records, original DNA results, and the correspondence between Thomas and Robert.""
I looked at the photograph again.
My father had known.
He'd known the truth about my daughters, my mother, and Daniel.
He'd died carrying all of it.
Then Margaret said something that made the room go cold.
"There's one more thing.""
I looked up.
"Thomas didn't die twelve years ago.""
Michael stood abruptly.
"Mom, don't.""
But she continued.
"He's alive, Laura.""
My heart began racing.
"Where?""
Margaret leaned closer.
"He's the man Vanessa has been meeting secretly.""
She slid another photograph across the table.
It showed Vanessa standing beside a man outside a bank.
The same man from the military photograph.
May you like
And beneath the photograph was a handwritten note.
*Thomas Bennett — Biological father of Chloe, Mia, and Sophie.*
